To this day, the work has Jean-Michel Basquiat's (1960-1988) has lost none of his freshness, spontaneity and power. The artist first appeared in the New York art scene in the late 1970s under the tag name SAMO, when he sprayed sarcastic comments and poem fragments on the city's walls. When this underground scene, characterized by As Basquiat's expressive paintings gained widespread attention in the art world, including street art, hip hop, post-punk, and DIY filmmakers , he penetrated into increasingly established circles. By 1981, he was represented in important New York galleries and soon became a household name worldwide. In 1983, he began collaborating with the then biggest star in the art scene, Andy Warhol , and in 1985 Basquiat graced the cover of New York Times Magazine . When he died at the age of just 27, he was one of the most successful artists of his time.

Basquiat's personal, expressive style is composed of rough figure drawings and words and phrases integrated into the picture field. Inspired by the Jazz stars, famous boxers or basketball players , his work contains a multitude of references to the history and politics of street life . Basquiat's answer to the question about his themes was: "Kings, heroism, and the street."

Following our XXL bestseller on the life and work of Jean-Michel Basquiat, this slightly shortened, more compact edition is now published by TASCHEN to mark its 40th anniversary. Excellent reproductions of his paintings, drawings and notebook sketches allow a close study of Basquiat's intricate signs and scribbled word fragments. The volume contains a Introduction by the editor Hans Werner Holzwarth to the artist and a Essay by curator Eleanor Nairne about Basquiat's themes and artistic development. The richly illustrated chapters follow the artist's life, quote his own statements as well as contemporary reviews and explain personal backgrounds and the historical context.